Rep. Hoa Nguyen, D-Damascus, right, waves to a person in the gallery while working on the House floor at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. She died Thursday morning following a months-long battle with cancer.(Photo by Amanda Loman/Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Oregon State Rep. Hòa Nguyễn, D-Portland, died Thursday morning following a months-long battle with advanced stage cancer. She was 41.
Nguyễn had returned to the chamber wearing a mask in June after announcing a stage four cancer diagnosis in February that led her to seek chemotherapy and prevented her from participating in the Legislature in person. That stage of cancer is among the most serious and difficult to treat, having often spread to other parts of the body. Nguyễn had suggested in June that her return was part of a “miracle” but did not at the time elaborate on the extent to which or if she had recovered.
“Rep. Nguyễn asked that this chapter of her life be remembered through the work of making Oregon a just, equitable, and compassionate place,” said Mack Smith, a spokesperson for the Oregon House Democrats, in a statement Thursday. “She wanted Oregon to continue building on the work she began, making child care affordable, strengthening schools, expanding community infrastructure, and ensuring every child and every family feels seen.”
Nguyễn rose to prominence in the Oregon Legislature as part of a 2022 class of five Vietnamese American lawmakers who combined created the largest group of the diaspora in any such state legislature across the country. Her biography from the California-based Progressive Vietnamese American Organization notes that her full Vietnamese name, Hiền Hòa Nguyễn, translates to “a person that is affable and kind in nature.”
Smith said that more information about how Nguyễn’s remarkable life will be honored will be shared “when it becomes available.”
Her seat will have to be filled whomever a group of commissioners representing Multnomah and Clackamas counties choose from a list compiled by local Democratic officials.
Nguyễn represented the 48th House District of Oregon, including Damascus and East Portland, with her office often touting the moniker “From Kelly Butte to Powell Butte, Barton to Carver.”
The eldest daughter of Vietnamese refugees who fled the Vietnam War in its final year of 1975 for Louisiana, she often recalled coming from humble beginnings, with her father owning a convenience store where she worked the front counter.
Nguyễn made her way to Oregon at 16, enrolling in a Catholic school for girls and later studying sociology at Portland State University. Before clinching victory by more than 600 votes in her 2022 election, she worked extensively in public education, serving as a school attendance coach in Portland Public Schools and holding her position on David Douglas School Board until the end of June. Her work at one elementary school spurred the creation of a Walking School Bus program, which ensured students had access to transportation to school every day.
Nguyễn’s legislative accomplishments span childhood care, education, and consumer protection. One of her most noteworthy accomplishments this past legislative session was the passage of House Bill 3199, aimed at studying chronic absenteeism in schools, creating an advisory council on the issue and directing the state board of education to respond to those findings.
Gov. Tina Kotek signed the legislation into law on July 17 after it passed the Legislature with only one vote of opposition in the Senate.
After the end of Oregon’s 2025 legislative session, Nguyễn suggested her work was still in play.
“As an educator, I know that the transition into kindergarten is key, and an important determinant of long-term academic success,” Nguyễn wrote in a July 2 newsletter. “I am committed to ensuring that ALL students are welcome and supported in the classroom, and will be working to improve the transition into kindergarten for disabled students through future legislation.”
In a statement Thursday, Oregon House Speaker Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, praised Nguyễn for bringing her family’s story into her work and “always centering the voices of children, educators, and immigrant and refugee families.”
“Rep. Nguyễn embodied the best of public service: fierce in her advocacy, compassionate in her approach, and steadfast in her belief in the power of community,” she said. “Her legacy will live on in this chamber and in every classroom she fought so hard to support.”
House Republican Leader Lucetta Elmer, R-McMinnville, said she was deeply saddened by the loss, recalling her time working with Nguyễn on the House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services.
“Her compassion, intellect, and commitment to families will leave a lasting mark on our state,” Elmer said in a statement. “My heart goes out to her family and colleagues during this difficult time.”
The Oregon Legislature’s Legislative Black, Indigenous, People of Color Caucus also released a statement honoring Nguyễn and her role as a member of the “Phab 5,” referring to the five Vietnamese American lawmakers elected in 2022 to the Legislature.
“In the Capitol, Representative Hòa Nguyễn will be remembered for pouring her heart and soul into bringing communities together,” Theresa Mai, a spokesperson for the caucus, wrote in a statement. “The BIPOC Caucus mourns the loss of a dear friend and extends their deepest condolences to the family and friends of Representative Hòa Nguyễn.”
Capital Chronicle reporter Mia Maldonado contributed to this report.
-
11:17 amUpdated at 11:17 with statements from Rep. Lucetta Elmer, R-McMinnville and the Oregon Legislative Black, Indigenous, People of Color caucus.
